Party-line indicating-key.



d. E. SMITH.

PARTY LINE INDIGATING KEY. APPLICATION magma-a, 1907.

"91 1,339. Patented Feb.2, 1909.

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c. H. SMITH. v PARTY LINE INDIGATING KEY.

AAAAAAA TION FILED AU-G 5, 1907.

911,339. r I Patented F b.2,1909.

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c. E; SMITH. PARTY LINE INDIGATING KEY.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6, 1907.

Patented Feb.2, 1909.

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CHARLES H. SMITH OF CHICAGO,

runners, nssr'eNo-R TO K'ELLQGG SWITCHBQARD AND snrrtv'nonrnnnj orCHICAGO, IILLINGIS, nectar-centres or .ItLnINoIs.

nARTYmInE mmoATING-KEY.

Specification-of Letters- Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909-.

Application filedAugutt 5, 1907. Serial N 0. 387,020.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it. known that I, CHARLES H. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing in Ohicago, county of Cook, andState of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Party-Line Indicating-Keys, ofwhich the following is. a specification.

My invention relates to party line indicating ringing keys for telephonesystems and contemplates a key which shall have a distinct andaccuratemeans of-indicating to the telephone operator the. last buttonof the key depressed and released.

In a telephonesystem provided withparty line selective ringing it isvery desirable for the operator to have some means, other than hermemory, of knowing which of the parties upon the line to which'hercalling cord is connected was last signaled, for the reason that itoftenv occurs that aparty does not respond to his first call and thecalling subscriber requests, the operator to signal again. If thisoccurs a great deal of annoyance is obviated by .the-guse of an indicat-1ng key, whereby the operator will not be required to inquirethedesi-red number a second time from the callingsubscriber.

In the present invention I provide small targets, one associated witheach of the buttons of the ringing key, each target preferably having awhite line across its face which in normal position stands in alinementwith the lines of all the targets, but which after its particular keyhas been depressed and released assumes a position at right angles toits former position, thus indicating that its associated button was thelast depressed. By the mechanical construction of the key I cause thissmall target or indicating device to return to its normal position whenany otherbuttonlofthe key is depressed. V

an isometric drawing of the pivoted catch plate; F1g..-8.1s an isometrlcdrawlng ofthe' restoring cams and plate; Fig. -9 is an isometric drawingof the rotating thimble, and

' plun'gers and likewise mounted plan view of the key .2 Q is a frontelevation; Fig. 3 .is a :rear eleva thimble and its Fig. 10 is isometricdrawing of the guide block showing the rotating pin and the release pinassembled.

The key of my invention in its preferable form is provided with the topplate 1 and spring support 2 rigidly connected together to form arectangular frame by the pillars 3; and 4. The spring operating plungers5 are mounted in alined openings through the, upper and lower stripsofthe frame, these plungers, carrying the buttons 6 which are preferablymade of diflerent colors to be readily distinguished.

Associated with each of the plungers is a set of switch springs 7secured in the insulating spring support 2 in such manner as to bechanged from'normal to actuating position by the depression of theassociated plunger 5. Upon this plunger 5 is an enlargement -9 to whichthe screw 10 secures therubberspring actuating knob 11. vWhen theplunger is depressed this knob is forced between the'long springs of theassociated set so as tospread these springs apart, bringing them. incontact with the outside normally free springs of the set.

In order to prevent the plunger 5 and its assembled par-ts from rotatingthe block 9 is provided with slots along the sides in which the guideplates 12 register, not only preventing the plungers from rotating, butalso adding to the stability of the knob support 9. About the lowerportion of each of the'actuating plungers is a coil spring 13 whichpresses upon the lower face of the enlargement 9 and upon the uppersurface of the spring support 2 to hold the actuating plungers normallyin their tions.

Associated with each of the actuating in the upper and lower portions ofthe frame are the indicating shafts 15 which carry the targets 16visible from the face of the key. Near the upper end of the indicatingshaft is a thimble 17 provided with the cam surface 18 and-with thenotches 19 and 20. The cam surface 18 is engaged by the end of the pin21 which is carried upon the block 90f the actuating plunger. When theactuating plunger is depressed this pin is adapted to cam surface 9 torotate the associated indicating shaft substantially a fourthrevolution, thus movbear upon the uppermost posiing the target to aposition at right angles to its normal position. About the lower end ofthis indicating shaft is a torsion spring 25 having sufficient strengthto normally maintain the indicating shaft in the position shown in Fig.6.

After the actuating plunger has been depressed and the indicating shaftrotated to indicating position it is necessary to lock the indicatingshaft in this rotated position so that it will continue to indicateafter the actuating plunger has returned to its normal position. I orthis purpose the plate 26 is provided, supported upon the posts 3 and 4-by screws 27 and 28. This plate is normally held in its inner positionby the pressure of the spring 29 and has the fingers 30 adapted toregister with the notches 19 and 20 of the thimbles 17. Upon theenlargement 9 of each. of the actuating plungers is carried thedove-tailed slide plate 31, this plate carrying the pin 32 which isadapted to register with the slanting surface 33 of the catch plate 26to rock this plate upon its pivots 27 and 28 when any one of theplungers is depressed. as shown in Fig. 2, the pin 32 is adapted to rockthe plate 26 outwardly upon the down stroke of the plunger 5, but isadapted to drop into the slot 34: when the plunger has reached its lowerposition such that upon the return stroke the pin 32 and the slioe plate31 are caused to move slightly to the right and thereby the pin passesup through the slot without again moving the catch plate. It willthereby be seen that the finger 30 of the catch plate which normallystands in notch 20 of the thimble 17 will drop into the notch 19 whenthe plunger is fully depressed and will hold the thimble and itsassociated indicating shaft in its partly rotated position until another plunger is depressed, rocking the plate 26 upon its pivots andpulling the finger 30 out of its registry with the notch 19 of therotated thimble. The cam surfaces 35 formed on the plate 86 and securedto the top plate 1 by screws 87 are adapted to restore the pins 32 andslide 31 to normal position as the plunger returns from its actuatingposition to its normal position.

While my invention is here shown and described with reference to aspecific embodiment, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be solimited, it being very possible to utilize the indicating feature ofthis key with many other forms of mechanical construction without in anyway departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

WVhat I claim is:

1. In an operators indicating key, the combination with a suitableframe, of a plurality of vertically reciprocating switch actuatingplungers mounted therein, auxiliary targets also mounted in said frameand having a rotary movement controlled by the movement of the plungersfor indicating the last plunger depressed, substantially as described.

2. In an operators indicating key, the

combination with a unitary structure, of a "plurality of switchactuating plungers, and auxiliary rotating means for indicating the lastplunger depressed forming parts of said structure, substantially asdescribed.

3. In an operators indicating key, the combination with a plurality ofswitch actuating means, of a plurality of auxiliary indicators, onemechanically associated with each of said actuating means, the mechanismof said mechanical association being adapted to rotate the indicators todenote the last actuating means depressed and rcleased, substantially asdescribed.

4;. In an operators indicating key, the combination with a suitableframe, of a plu rality of switch actuating means mounted therein, aplurality of auxiliary targets, one associated with each of saidactuating m vans, each target having a normal and an indi-- catingangular position, each of said targets being adapted to be moved to itsangular position by the operation of its associated actuating means andreturned to its normal position by the oaeration of any othcactuatingmeans, su stantially as described.

5. In an operators indicating key, the combination with a plurality ofactuating means, of a plurality of indicating means, each located in aposition closely associated with its corresponding actuating means, saidindicating means having a normal symmetrical appearance, a frame forminga unitary support for said actuating and imlicating means and means torotate any of said indicating means out of symmetry with the others bythe operation of its associated actuating means, and means to returnsaid indicating means to its symmetrical position by the operation ofany other actuating means, substantially as described.

6. In an operators indicating key, the combination with a suitablesupporting frame, of a plurality of vertically reci nroeating switchactuating plungers mounted in the frame, a plurality of indicatingshafts i also mounted in the frame, one associated with each actuatingplunger, cooperating means upon each plunger and its associatedindicating shaft for rotating the indicating shaft upon the depressionof the operating shaft, and means to maintain the indicating shaft inits rotated position until another actuating shaft is operated,substantially as described.

7. In an operators indicating key, the combination with a suitableframe, of a plurality of switch actuating plungers mounted i the frame,a plurality of indicating means, one associated with each of theactuating plungers also mounted in the frame, means to hold theactuating plunger normally in its uppermost position, means to hold theindicating means normally in its non-indicating position, cooperatingmeans upon the actuating plunger and the indicating device associatedtherewith for. rotating the inclicating device upon the downward strokeof the actuating plunger, a catch plate for maintaining the indicatingdevice in its rotated positlon after the actuating plunger has beenreleased, and means for moving the catch plate to release the retainedindicating device wheneveranother actuating plunger is depressed,substantially as described;

In an operators indicating key, the combination with a suitablesupporting frame, of actuating and indicating shafts mounted in theframe, the actuating shafts having a reciprocatin motion for changingthe circuit of the device, the indicating shafts having a rotary motionfor indicating purposes, a cam upon the indicating shaft, a

projection upon the actuating shaft engaging said cam to rotate the samewhen the actuating shaft is depressed, a catch plate for maintaining therotating shaft in its rotated position, and means to move said catchplate to release the rotated shaft whenever another operating shaft isdepressed, substantially as described.

9. In an operators indicating key, the combination with a plurality ofactuating means, of a'plurality of rotatable indicating means, oneassociated with each of the actuating means and adapted to be placed inindicating position upon the actuation of the associated actuatingmeans, a catch for maintaining the indicating device in its indicatingposition after the actuating means has been depressed and released,means to move the catch upon the depression of any other actuatingmeans, whereby the rotated indicating means is released, and means topermit the actuating means to return to its normal position withoutmoving the catch, whereby its own indicating means will not be releasedupon the return stroke of the actuating means, substantially asdescribed.

10. In an operators indicating key, the combination with a suitableframe, of a pivoted catch plate mounted in the frame, a plurality ofvertically reciprocating switch actuating plungers, a plurality ofindicating devices the last actuated of which is adapted to e held inindicating position by the catch plate, a projection carried on each ofthe reciprocating plungers for moving the catch plate upon the downwardstroke of the plunger to release the indicating device then retained,said projection having a lateral movement upon the'return stroke of theplunger, whereby the catch plate is not engaged and is not moved torelease its own indicating device, substantially as described.

11. In an indicating key, the combination with a plurality of switchactuating means, of a plurality of auxiliary indicators, one associatedwith each actuating means, and

mechanical means associated with the actuating means adapted to rotatethe indicators to denote the last actuating means depressed,substantially as described.

' 12. In an indicating key, the combination with a plurality of switchactuating means, of a plurality of auxiliary indicators, one associatedwith each actuating means, and mechanical means associated with theactuating means adapted to rotate the indicators to denote the lastactuating means depressed and released, substantially as described.

13. In an operators indicating key, the combination with a plurality ofsets of switch springs having normal and actuating positions, ofoperating means therefor having normal and actuating positions, each ofsaid means being adapted when in its actuated position to place itsassociated set of switch springs in its actuated position, a pluralityof auxinary indicating means, one associated with each of said operatingmeans, said indicating means being adapted to be rotated to anindicating position when its associated operating means is actuated andbeing adapted to be returned to its normal position when any otheroperating means is actuated, substantially as described.

Signed by me at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, in thepresence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. SMITH.

Witnesses:

CLIFFORD C. BRADBURY, EDITH F. GRIER.

